The Shadow of the King
by Zyruuu
Summary: AU of 12.12 Stuck in the Middle (With You) - Ruby. Her everything was here. He didn't know how he could tell, but she had brought him here before. He wasn't sure if she had malicious reasons though. Despair and evil leaked from the house, like the demon blood dripping through his fingers, he thought bitterly. [Sam & Ramiel]


When Sam heard that the demon they were hunting liked to go fishing, of all things, he didn't think much of it.

It sounded vaguely familiar, like an itch at the back of his mind. It reminded him of Ruby, the itch; of the power that she brought him, and the power he forsook. The location was familiar too, but he couldn't put his finger on it. The memory was there, but it was like it was underwater. Blurry and suffocating. It made him shudder – made him feel ill. The demon they were hunting was definitely bad news, but with five of them after the thing, he thought it would be easy.

They've hunted every type of demon ever at this point; Yellow-Eyes, Lilith, Abaddon – all gone because of him and Dean. They made the world the better place without the higher-ranking demons in the world, but he couldn't quite get rid of the feeling that there was something else lurking in the shadows. That Azazel, specifically, had left something behind.

After the trials and Gadreel, he thought the demon blood wouldn't affect him anymore. It was the reason why he did it; for redemption. Maybe, just maybe, if he could do the world right, close the gates, that maybe he could make up for the disease that flowed through his veins. But no matter how much he hopes, no matter how many blessings or resurrections or trials, he knew that the blood was still him. He could feel it. Even if he didn't use it, he could feel it.

Ruby's final words rattled through his skull on the days where he thought about it. _You didn't need the feather to fly. You had it in you the whole time, Dumbo!_ The words haunted him. He hadn't needed demon blood; Ruby had made him believe that to make him dependent on her, to get him ready for Lucifer. He should've been smarter. If he had just _remembered_ that Ava and Andy and Jake hadn't needed blood, but practice, then he wouldn't have had to turn into a goddamn vampire.

That's what this place reminded him of. Ruby. Her _everything_ was here. He didn't know how he could tell, but she had brought him here before. He wasn't sure if she had malicious reasons though. Despair and evil leaked from the house, _like the demon blood dripping through his fingers_ , he thought bitterly. But the intentions, he wasn't sure. He could remember feeling _satisfied_. Happy, even.

.

 _"What are we doing here, Ruby?" Sam asked her, despair obvious in his eyes. "What have you done?"_

 _"I haven't done anything, Dumbo." Ruby snapped, insulted by the accusation. "You were having another one of your damn depression episodes."_

 _"_ Episodes _?" Sam grabbed her arm, twisting her to face him. "You promised me we could bring back Dean. So, unless you have the solution in this house, then I don't see any reason to be here." He turned back the way they came, fully intending to drive away and leave her there._

 _"Hey, hey!" Ruby took his hand gently. "I'm sorry for the insensitivity. Do remember that I am a demon, Sam."_

 _"It's kind of hard to forget–"_

 _"Not the point." Ruby cut him off. "I'm still… figuring things out, okay? It's gonna take some time."_

 _Sam sighed as she raised her arms to hold his face in her hands, thumbs softly caressing his face. "Why're we here, Ruby?"_

 _"I can't bring Dean back, not now anyway. So, I thought I could give you the next best thing."_

 _Sam's brow furrowed, "and what's that?"_

 _"Answers. Come on."_

.

Sam's chest hurt, as did his head. He was crouched behind the door, and everyone else was in position. His memory was still so blurry, but he really didn't want to fight the man whistling outside.

The door opened, Dean shot the demon, and Sam's heart stopped.

The bullets didn't do anything to the demon, and he knew about the devil's trap under the rug.

The demon walked towards Dean, so Sam jumped to stab it with Ruby's knife. It elbowed him in the face and was unfazed, pulling the knife from his side. Sam fell to the ground, temporarily stunned.

Ramiel, _how do I know that,_ Sam thought, dropped the knife to the ground carelessly, and Sam was pulled up and pinned against the wall in a flash.

"Samuel!" Ramiel cried out joyfully. "It's been a long time."

"Sammy!" Dean aimed his gun at Ramiel's head. "Let him go!"

"Ah, ah, ah. One wrong move and I'll snap his neck." Ramiel pressed his thumb into Sam's throat, making Sam hit his arm to get it off. "Now, now, Sam, that's no way to treat an old friend."

Mary and Castiel had appeared from their hiding spots at this point and were looking on with their weapons raised.

"You know him?" Mary asked.

Ramiel flashed his yellow eyes at her, "Sam and I go way back, Ms Winchester."

.

 _Ruby was holding his hand when she knocked on the door four times, waited, then once more. A secret knock then? Why would a demon need a secret knock? Sam didn't really have time to think about it when an older man opened the door, a fishing rod in his hand. He was middle-aged, with dark eyes that had seen too much for anyone human. He had a thick greying beard that reminded him of one of his old school teachers._

 _The man glared at the two, eyes angry had whoever had interrupted his business. His mouth twitched, as if he wanted to growl at Ruby. Then his eyes landed on Sam, and he smirked, raising an eyebrow at their entwined hands._

 _"Huh," was all he said._

 _Sam glanced at Ruby worriedly. She seemed scared but spoke anyway. "Can we come in?"_

 _The man's eyes shot daggers at her, and Sam's hand tightened around hers. "He can."_

 _Ruby looked like she wanted to strangle the guy, but refrained, seemingly too scared to bite back. "Fine." She turned to Sam, "I'll be back in a few hours."_

 _"I don't un–"_

 _"Don't worry, son." The older man grasped his shoulder with a smile. "You're safe here. I'm Ramiel."_

 _"Sam," he hesitantly introduced himself._

 _"I know who you are." Ramiel led him into the house, placing the fishing rod on the table. He sat down on a plain couch in front of a fireplace. "I can feel my brother's blood running through your veins."_

 _"Your brother?" Sam stood awkwardly next to the couch, only moving to sit next to Ramiel when gestured to._

 _"Azazel." Sam's eyes widened, and he jumped up from the couch, raising his hand. "Calm down, son."_

 _"Don't call me that!" Sam spat._

 _"Samuel." Ramiel raised his hands in a surrender. "You are safe here. We are just going to talk. You really think your little girlfriend is going to let walk into danger?"_

 _Sam stared at him, hate pooling in his eyes. "Talk about what?"_

 _"Well," Ramiel sat back down. "I assume you are here for answers? About Azazel, your mother?"_

 _"My mom?" He was still tense but had lowered his hand._

 _"Don't you want to know about what Azazel had in store for you? Why he chose you?"_

 _"Why would you tell me?"_

 _Ramiel laughed. Sam couldn't tell if it was malicious or if he was genuinely amused. "We're practically family, kid."_

 _"I'm nothing like you." Sam clenched his fists in anger._

 _"Yes, you are." Ramiel said calmly, "you're one of us, whether you like it or not. You became one of us the moment Azazel fed you his blood. Now, sit down. You have questions, and I have the answers."_

 _Sam swallowed, he wanted to leave, knew he should leave, but if Ramiel knew about Azazel, then there wasn't even a choice. He had to know. He slowly sat down next to the demon, making sure to leave enough room between them should Sam need to make an escape, not that it would help, Sam thought._

 _"Why was I Azazel's favorite?" The infatuation Azazel had with him was unnerving, he knew he attracted demon trouble, probably because of the blood, but Azazel saw past that._

 _"Your family, I suppose," Ramiel answered after a moment._

 _"My family?"_

 _"The Winchesters and the Campbells. Both very strong bloodlines, possession-wise."_

 _"What does that mean?"_

 _"Demons are stronger when they possess a monkey who is alive because they can feed off the soul within. Demons with dead vessels are weaker because of that. Bloodlines play into the durability of a vessel."_

 _At Sam's confused look, he rolled his eyes fondly. "Stronger demons, like the Sins or the Ancient Ones, they need specific suits, otherwise they'll burn out. Though they don't really care for the vessel, so they jump around, burning out anyone they can."_

 _"Who are the Ancient Ones?"_

 _"You've met one. Lilith."_

 _Sam's eyes grew dark. "Do you know where she is?"_

 _"No. I'm not interested in the affairs of Hell anymore. Azazel was a fanatic, obsessed with the souls and deals. Lilith? A petty little bitch, I couldn't care less for the skank."_

 _"Dammit." Sam eyed the fireplace, thinking. "Wait, so my bloodline means that I'm, what, durable?"_

 _"Yes." Ramiel smiled, eyes wrinkling. "Azazel intended to turn you into a general for Hell, like him. Yellow eyes and all." He quickly flashed his own yellow eyes. "With a bloodline like yours and the strength of your soul, you'd be unstoppable. Not to mention you're still human. Power like that is hard to come by."_

 _Sam wanted to ask more questions, but another one was nagging him. "What about my mom?"_

 _"Ah," Ramiel clicked his knuckles. "Mary Winchester. She didn't die because she was in the way, Sam."_

 _"Then why?" Sam sniffed, no longer angry at his what? Uncle?_ He's not your family, Sammy _! Dean's voice announced in his head._

 _"She died because she loved you too much. If she lived, then you wouldn't have had the training necessary to lead an army."_

 _"She would've died anyway."_

 _"Yes."_

 _Sam inhaled deeply and turned away, blinking away the tears. "Why me? Why was he in_ my _room?" His voice broke._

 _"She made herself known to him. Her family, the Campbells, they were aware of the supernatural world we all live in. Her family's work made him interested in her. And when he saw the bloodlines, there was no way he was going to let you or her go."_

 _"So, this was inevitable. My life, Dean's, Mom and Dad's. We're cursed."_

 _"You choose your own path, Samuel." Ramiel shuffled closer to place a hand on his shoulder. "You take what you get, and you make it what you want it to be."_

 _Sam looked into Ramiel's dark eyes. "Why… why are you being so nice to me?"_

 _"I was where you are, a long time ago. When I became a demon. I didn't know what to do or where I belonged. Even though I don't care about the demons or Hell; you're my family now, because of Azazel."_

 _"Can demons even care about family?" Sam was reminded of Azazel's solemn gaze when Dean had killed Tom; and Ruby, she was helping him, and he… he hadn't objected to her being called his girlfriend._

 _Ramiel laughed, "never trust a demon, son. We feel everything, just on a much more twisted, larger scale."_

.

"Y-You," Sam choked against his hold. " _Ramiel_ –"

"So, you remember now?" Ramiel cocked his head to the side. "I was wondering when you'd break the spell."

"Let him go! What spell!?" Dean shouted. He took a step forward, his brotherly instincts kicking in; Cas grabbed his arm holding him back.

Ramiel's grip grew tighter, and Sam could hardly gasp for breath. "Samuel has been to visit me before. We had a lovely chat about Azazel and demons and souls and dear–" He pushed Sam higher against the wall, "–old, mother Mary." Ramiel turned to wink at her.

"Stop!" Castiel shouted and lunged for the demon.

Cas was thrown across the room and into the table, destroying it. He could faintly hear Dean's cry of "Cas, no!"

Ramiel finally released Sam, the latter falling to the floor and rubbing his bruised neck. He crouched in front him, saying in a low voice, "you promised to never return here."

.

 _Ramiel laughed deeply, his voice resonating throughout the room. "And then?"_

 _"Then I grabbed him and threw him against the wall, but he was just_ oh I have a family and kids please don't hurt me _, but I knew what he was, and he realised that too, because he turned back to what he actually looked like. Short and fucking sassy as all hell." Sam was comfortable now, his feet resting on the table, a case of beers between him and his uncle._

 _"Catching him out on a continuity error! Gotta love a Trickster! I'm actually surprised you didn't figure it out sooner, though." Ramiel took a sip of his beer._

 _"What'd you mean?"_

 _"Your power, kid. If you had concentrated, you could've been able to feel his presence."_

 _Sam was quiet for a moment. He spun his beer around in his hands. "Could you teach me?"_

 _"Excuse me?"_

 _"Could you teach me? To use my powers?" Sam placed the beer on the table. "Ruby's been great, but I get the feeling you could teach me more, considering you're stronger than her, and well, like you said. I got your brother's blood in me."_

 _Ramiel threw his beer bottle in the air, snapping his fingers to make it disappear. "I like you, Sam. I really do. But this is a onetime thing. If anyone finds out I'm here, I'll be harassed and bombarded with questions and begged to lead. I hate demons, I don't care for Hell, and I won't be dragged back to it. It was a risk to let you in here in the first place."_

 _Sam bit his lip, nodding in understanding. "I get it, but I thought it couldn't hurt to ask."_

 _"I'm sorry, kid." Ramiel stood up and offered his hand. "It was good meeting you, but you should probably go. Your demon is waiting for you."_

 _"Yeah…" Sam accepted the hand and Ramiel led him to the door. "Yeah. Thank you, for today."_

 _"That's alright," he gave Sam a firm hug before reaching for the door handle. "I don't get visitors anymore. It was refreshing."_

 _Ramiel twisted the knob, then stopped. He faced Sam fully and the look he gave him made the hairs on Sam's neck stand up._

 _"Promise me you will never return here," he uttered darkly._

 _Sam was reminded that he was in fact, a yellow-eyed demon, and quickly agreed. "Yeah, yes; I promise."_

 _Ramiel's entire posture changed, and he smiled. "Good lad." He said, patting Sam on the back and guiding him outside._

 _Ruby was leant against the Impala, waiting and bored out of her mind. She had been there for about an hour and knew that Ramiel knew she was here. He didn't tell Sam, just to piss her off. The Prince's voice made her jump._

 _"Aha! The whore returns–oof!" His voice but off. Did Sam just…?_

 _"Lay off, will you?"_

 _She turned and was stunned to see Sam and Ramiel walking side by side all giddy like they just had the time of their lives. She hadn't expected them to get on_ that _well._

 _Sam approached her, and gently grasped her arm. "Ready to go?"_

 _"I'd like a word with her, Samuel."_

 _Sam looked at him curiously but didn't question it. He got into the Impala and waited. Ruby stood up straighter as Ramiel walked closer to her._

 _"Erase his memory of me but let him remember what he learned."_

 _"Did you tell him about Lu–"_

 _"Of course I didn't. I'm not stupid."_

 _Ruby stared, confused, but agreed anyway. She got in the car and they drove away, Ramiel looking on in the distance. He waved with a smirk on his face._

 _"You okay?" Sam asked softly._

 _"Yeah," she replied. "Just thinking." About how she was going to make a hex bag to erase a person from someone's memory, but retain the knowledge. She'd do it tonight after he'd fall asleep. In the morning he wouldn't remember his estranged uncle, but he'd feel at ease, with answers to questions he wouldn't remember asking._

.

Sam gaped at him and _begged_. "Please! Please, Ramiel. I–I didn't know."

"I guess I can forgive you," Ramiel appeared to be thinking. "I think I'd like your angel to play with. Think of it as your apology to me." He laughed at Sam's panicked look. "Don't get in my way and you'll live."

Ramiel left him to hunt Cas. Wally died. Cas nearly died, but Crowley saved him.

Sam _would_ get in his way. Sam would end up being the one to kill Ramiel. For it was Cas, Dean, and his Mom who were his family. Why he ever considered Ramiel, _Prince of Hell_ , his family, he'll never know. Maybe some part of him wanted to be hell bound, the King of Hell that Azazel wanted. The thought made him feel sick.

He'll never forget the way Ramiel looked at him in the end. Like he knew something Sam didn't. He'd never know now. Some part of him will mourn, but mostly, he'll just be grateful that he and his Mom were safe from yet another yellow-eyed dick bag.


End file.
